Posted on: February 21, 2020
Bulldozers are extremely effective pieces of heavy machinery, but not everyone knows how they work or appreciates their power. To pay homage to this incredible marvel of engineering, we put together a short article on the basis of the bulldozer. Read on to learn something new and build up knowledge that’s sure to impress any of your gearhead buddies.
Most people don’t realize this, but a bulldozer is actually classified first and foremost as a tractor! The difference between a dozer and a farm tractor comes from the metal plate (also called a blade) featured in the front of the bulldozer. Similar to a tractor, however, the bulldozer is used to push massive amounts of debris and raw material, including sand, rocks, dirt, and bricks.
Bulldozers work primarily thanks to the force exerted by their tracking system. The tracks that rotate around the bottom of the dozer, like a circulating belt, are responsible for its considerable resilience on tough terrain and its ability to transport and retain hefty loads.
Other significant parts of the bulldozer are the ripper and the blade. As mentioned, the blade is often used interchangeably with “plate” to refer to the large metal structure on the front of the dozer. This is the part responsible for doing the heavy pushing.
The ripper of the bulldozer is found on the opposite side from the blade, all the way in the back of the machine. As the name suggests, this device “rips” up the ground and material covered by the bulldozer. It is shaped like a claw to produce this powerful shearing effect. If the ground is tightly packed together or compacted, the ripper will render the soil into a softer, more workable state.
Most commonly, bulldozers are used for demolition purposes. This isn’t surprising given their massive size and claw-like extensions! But bulldozers aren’t responsible only for destruction. In fact, they are commonly used for a number of other purposes.
Earthmoving is one of the next most common applications of bulldozers. The front blade of the machine pushes up dirt, soil, sand, or whatever variety of “earth” needs to be moved.
Bulldozers may also be used in construction projects and land clearing. Before a construction dig or build can begin, it’s not uncommon for the brush and natural vegetation of an area to need to be removed. Bulldozers take care of this task in one fell swoop, clearing away unwanted trees, bushes, and sometimes — if the land hasn’t been well managed — garbage and other rubbish.
Lastly, a bulldozer may be used to construct roads and strips of pavement. Much like a construction site needs to be cleared of existing vegetation before the project can begin, a road will need to be properly cleared and leveled to a flat plane before any paving or coverage can commence.
Like most heavy-duty machines, a bulldozer is designed to make our jobs and lives easier. You would probably be inclined to use a bulldozer if you work in any industries that require the moving or physical modification of significant masses of materials. This includes construction, farming, civil engineering, demolition, home renovation, and much more.
Although the original design is still virtually what most people use today, there have been improvements and modifications made to the bulldozer to broaden its applications and efficacy. In the realm of combat engineering, bulldozers may be equipped with armor for greater durability and protection of the operator. Perhaps more exciting, especially for those in construction management, remote-operated dozers are now available on the market, allowing operators to control their heavy machinery from safe distances. This permits them to carry out jobs that might otherwise put workers in dangerous or uncomfortable situations, whether these relate to weather conditions, falling debris, or the threats of surrounding equipment.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve taken a brief look at the bulldozer: what it is, what it does, what it’s used for, and how it may be able to make your life easier.
For more information on bulldozers and other pieces of heavy-duty equipment, please get in touch with Wagner Used Equipment. We have one of the largest and highest-quality inventories of machinery, power systems, ag equipment and more in the Western United States.
With high quality products and considerate service, we will work together with you to enhance your business and improve the efficiency. Please don't hesitate to contact us to get more details of small bulldozer.